‘Star Wars’ playing at a paddy near you

AOMORI – “Star Wars” heroes have emerged on rice paddies in the village of Inakadate, Aomori Prefecture, to attract tourists through the summer.

Popular characters of the film series, of which the latest version is scheduled to be released in December, have been created as two-dimensional art on a 1-hectare field using 11 rice varieties in seven different colors.

A scene from “Gone with the Wind” is also reproduced on a 1.5-hectare rice field.

“We managed to reproduce the world’s most famous film works as rice-paddy art. We hope the works will attract attention,” said village head Koyu Suzuki, who attended a presentation ceremony Wednesday with local high school students and nursery school children who helped plant the young rice seedlings in June.

“I’m glad it turned out to be a beautiful picture,” said 11-year-old Riku Saito, who helped in the planting.